The Art and Practice of Seduction
by Monkeys With Typewriters
Summary: Maybe it's not about the big romantic gestures.


Ukyou wasn't sure what she was expecting when she was finished closing up the restaurant for the night, but this wasn't it. The lights were off downstairs and she'd opened the door to her bedroom to find Konatsu lying there waiting for her on her futon in the midst of the soft glow of candles. Next to him was a bottle of wine and two glasses. His posture was classic pin-up material, stretched out and looking up at her with his head propped up on one hand, and the nightgown he was wearing was something western in style: pale pink, thigh-length, thin and soft and skimpy. Ukyou hadn't considered the question of what Konatsu wore to bed previously but she was pretty sure this wasn't usually it.

"Ukyou-sama," he began, his tone soft but playful.

Whatever he was about to say next was interrupted, however. "Konatsu, what the HELL do you think you're doing?"

The boy flinched, sitting up and looking down at the floor, looking chastened and… well, sulky. "...seducing you?"

"Wait, what?" The sheer left-field nature of his response let the anger drain out of Ukyou.

"Well, I…" He paused, doodling little circles in her futon with an index finger. "The truth is, Ukyou-sama, that I'm in love with you. I've felt this way for such a long time but I didn't think that there was any way that we could be together, you a successful and wealthy business owner and me, your humble but loyal employee. It just wouldn't be proper."

"You don't say," Ukyou deadpanned.

Sarcasm was lost on him. "No, it's true, I swear!" Now his fingers twined with the hem of the nightgown, twisting and untwisting. "But I couldn't take it any longer: I had to find some way to tell you how I felt, to see if you could love me the way that I love you."

"And this is why you're in my bedroom dressed like that?"

A nod and a proud little smile was Konatsu's response. "Indeed! I did some research on the subject and found strange books that offered advice on ways for a maiden to express her feelings to the one she loves. Some of it didn't make sense to me," he added, his expression a bit puzzled, "but I found something that I thought would work. Only," and here he became crestfallen again, "I must have done something wrong. Or…" He sniffled. "...do you hate me, Ukyou-sama?"

"What? No, of course not!" Ukyou sighed and motioned for him to scoot over, which he did, at which point she sat down on the futon, knocking over the bottle of wine in the process. "I'm just… okay, you love me. And you're very sweet," and loyal, and kind, and more than a bit of a doormat, she didn't say, "but isn't this a bit much?"

"Oh no, the book was very specific."

"Right. Only… you know I'm a girl, right?"

"Yes?"

"And you're a boy."

He shifted, pulling down the nightie as though suddenly realizing just how skimpy it was. "T-technically, I suppose."

"So didn't you think something else might work better, something boys do?"

"It never occurred to me."

"Of course it hadn't. And the fact that I'm in love with Ranchan? Did that not occur to you either?"

He withdrew again, knees bunched up. "I'm not Ranma-san. I know that you want to be swept off your feet by him and go off into the sunset together, and I can't give you that. But I thought that maybe if you heard me out you'd see that we could be happy together."

Happy together. Ukyou looked around. The lighting was soft and warm: Konatsu, a few feet from her, was half in shadow, a delicate figure looking to her with an expression that mingled open honesty, love and apprehension. The rain pattered down overhead and traced patterns on her window. The candles, she realized, smelled of sandalwood, one of her favorite scents. "I don't think the wine was a good idea."

Konatsu nodded. "I don't usually drink, but the book said that removing inhibitions can help encourage things to take their natural course."

Ukyou thought about this for a second. "Natural course, huh?" Taking the bottle, she poured two glasses and handed one to Konatsu. "I don't know if this will work, Konatsu. You really are sweet but Ranma's the one I want." The wine swirled in her glass. "But… sure. Maybe this is where things are supposed to go. Seduce me."


End file.
